When devoted, young mum Laura McLachlan decided to get into shape to be fitter for her little girl, she had no idea that just two years later she would be named Scotland’s Strongest Woman.
Laura said she wanted to be stronger so she could lift daughter Kaylin – who has spina bifida – in and out of her wheelchair but her health kick has now turned her life around, reports the Daily Record.
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Laura, 30, championed over competitors from around Scotland to win the title at Hostile Strength gym in Motherwell.
She said daughter Kaylin is proud as punch of her mum and Laura hopes the future will bring more success for her and her family.
Laura – who lifted 250kg during the competition – said: “I started training about two years ago.
“I never really had a goal to begin with and then we had the lock-downs so we just continued training outside and I was initially supposed to be going for Scotland’s Strongest Woman before lock-down meant it was postponed.
“It ended up being quite a good thing, so I was able to get stronger.
“I was up against a lot of people and some amazing athletes that have been training for years and have been to British and World championships, so I was absolutely buzzing to have won.”
Laura added: “Initially I started training because I was gaining weight.
“I had my daughter quite young, so I thought it made sense to make a career out of this as well as getting stronger because she’s growing.
“Now she’s 10 and has a good bit of weight about her, so it does help, but doing the weights was also something for me too and gave me some get up and go and made getting on with my day a bit easier.”
Laura stays in Blackburn, West Lothian, with partner Colin and Kaylin’s older brother, also Colin.
She said she began training in January 2019 with partner Colin and started to look at competing as it was something “a bit different” – and hasn’t looked back.
With Colin having been training most of his life, Laura decided to “tag along” with him to the gym to lift weights and was hooked from there.
She said both her son and daughter are proud of what she’s achieved.
Laura said: “I always say to my daughter, ‘Come on champ’, but she’s been telling me I’m the champ now. She’s absolutely stoked.”
